therefore I am liable for forty percent of that amount. My question concerns the fasting: is it definitely obligatory upon me? Because I am a secondary-school student, I may find it difficult to combine fasting and studying. Would it be sufficient for me to give charity or to feed the poor? Is there any way for me to be excused from the fast? Please advise me—may Allah bless you.

Answer: Allah the Most High says, “Whoever kills a believer by mistake must set free a believing slave and pay blood-money handed over to his family … but whoever cannot find [one] must fast for two consecutive months” (4:92).

There is no doubt that you must fast, for you took part in an accidental killing, and the expiation is obligatory for anyone who kills by mistake, whether he acted alone or together with others. You say your share of responsibility was sixty percent, but even if it were one percent or less, the expiation would still be due because of the general wording of the noble verse. Since the emancipation of a slave is no longer possible, two consecutive months of fasting remain binding upon you. There is no third alternative. Perform the fast whenever you are able; if you cannot do so now, it remains a debt that you must pay when you are capable.

Your studies are not an obstacle to fasting. People fast while attending school—especially in cooler regions—so studying is not a valid excuse for abandoning the fast. If, for example, you were to wait for a cold season such as winter and fast then, that would be acceptable, as the days are shorter and the cold lessens the hardship. The essential point is that you must fast; you know best the time most suitable for you, and the obligation remains upon you until you fulfill it.

Question: So there is no substitute—does that mean feeding the poor is not included in the expiation for accidental killing?